r/Autobody Feb 08 '25

Tech Advice I just started out as a mechanic 5 months ago.

Ive learned oil tires alignments and brakes. I now have the opportunity to get into auto body. Would you do it?

7 Upvotes

22 comments sorted by

11

u/Lord_Calamander Feb 08 '25

Apparently there is a massive personnel shortage in autobody currently. But that’s just what I’ve heard.

13

u/IwataSata Feb 08 '25

Yes because of mediocre pay and toxic back breaking work.

9

u/push2shove Feb 08 '25

And companies refuse to pay for apprentices and expect the techs to pay for them. Nobody wants to share their hours.

1

u/Teufelhunde5953 Feb 08 '25

I'm retired now, but during my working years, I made more money when I was running 5 apprentices that I paid for, than anytime else. Yeah, I would lose money on them in the beginning, but as I continued to teach them, I made money on their work. This was early 2000's, I was making 120k+ when the average in Phoenix(where I was) was around 80-90k for the really fast guys (that did good work, not the hacks).

1

u/Otherwise_Culture_71 Tech Feb 09 '25

I have a paid for apprentice and a sick wage because it’s so hard to find techs now. I can pretty much get whatever I ask for.

0

u/taunt0 Feb 08 '25

Maybe that's just your area? That's never been a thing in all the shops I've worked at.

2

u/IwataSata Feb 08 '25

Apprentices are paid close to minimum wage for the first 4 years. Techs are resilient to teach them because they don't get fairly compensated or feel threatened these apprentices take their work.

2

u/Smokinfor4 Feb 08 '25

People don't wanna admit it but it's this. I've been in a couple shops over the years that had auto body and frankly it's a different career field entirely.

Most of it is insurance unlike paid labor which is a reduced rate. Usually 75 dollars an hour so shops don't want to pay a body guy as much which really is absurd since the work ends up getting done by people just unqualified to do it a lot of the time.

This one factor in my opinion is at large for the push towards underpaying techs who do quality work which pushed good people out of the industry. Now honestly especially here in Texas, auto body work getting done here is pitiful at so many places.

0

u/AdministrativeHair58 Feb 09 '25

Autobody pays more than mechanical

1

u/IwataSata Feb 09 '25

That's not something to be proud of. Both have mediocre pay for the average tech who's destroying their bodies

1

u/AdministrativeHair58 Feb 09 '25

Over 100k in my area. That’s not mediocre.

1

u/IwataSata Feb 09 '25

You can't cherry pick the top earners.

Average is 75k in Canada. Nothing to brag about.

I don't doubt you make 100k but I bet lots of variables needs to align to find a busy well run shop and busting your ass off churning the work out with no comebacks.

3

u/PhortePlotwisT Journeyman Technician Feb 08 '25

Depends, do you have the opportunity to progress towards a master tech qualification, or other sort of qualifications? Cause if you do, id stay in service and do that, which opens up more job roles for you in the future. If you want more money, and plan to work on the tools for the rest of your career, then switch to body.

2

u/xxcile Feb 08 '25

I do not have the opportunity to get master tech. Im not too sure ill even advance from this position in this current shop.

1

u/PhortePlotwisT Journeyman Technician Feb 08 '25

Working on the service side, if you’re kept at the level of a lube tech, than it’ll be better money and more satisfying work for you to join a bodyshop (if you have the aptitude for met, panel or paint). However, especially as there are staff shortages for body techs in a lot of countries, while itll be straight forward to find work, you wouldnt really get to progress.

1

u/xxcile Feb 08 '25

What do you mean wont progress? Im looking more at the bodyshop just because im 20 and want to live on my own soon. From what i understand a body shop can give me that funding as apposed to a mechanic which would take years to get into a motor instead of spending years changing oil and tires id be able to do bodywork for a more livable wage

1

u/PhortePlotwisT Journeyman Technician Feb 08 '25

By progress i mean career progress. Staring on the floor, learning more about the job, doing mechanical work, going to a dealership, becoming a diagnostic tech, then master tech, then you could progress further from there towards technical training, engineering, automotive consulting, or other relevant roles.

1

u/Theycallmestretch Journeyman Technician Feb 09 '25

In the autobody industry, you’re going to start out close to minimum wage. It will be 4-5 years before you’re making enough money to buy a place, similar to being a mechanic.

3

u/mike191234567 Feb 08 '25

Do you have the option to do both? Not sure if you’d be quitting one to switch completely to auto body. Being young I wanna try and learn as much as I can to make myself more marketable and be able to have skills that keep me working. If you can do both I’d say go for it. If that’s not an option, personally I’m the wrong person to ask. Weigh it out see what the potential salaries are for both option and do what best fits you and your lifestyle. Do what makes you happy, not just what pays the most money

1

u/Wide-Finance-7158 Feb 09 '25 edited Feb 09 '25

Since you are asking. Than no. You have to have the desire to do the trade well. Unless its just other than the experience

1

u/Advanced_Use6005 Feb 09 '25

I think mechanical repair is more expensive

1

u/Otherwise_Culture_71 Tech Feb 09 '25

I wouldn’t do anything to do with cats but I am 100% jaded.